Rail bond or connection



(No Model.)

RAIL BDND CONNECTION. No. 557,174. Patented Mai". 31, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD A. TURNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

R AlL BOND OR CONNECTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,174, dated March31, 1896.

Application filed September 7, 1895- Serial No. 561,762. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. TURNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Bail Bonds orConnections, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to rail-bonds, and has for its object to provide anew and improved rail bond or connector.

The following is a description of a form of my connector with thevarious angles and inclinations enlarged for convenience inillustration. The various features could be considerably varied at will.

Figure 1 is a View of the rail-bond in position connecting the ends ofthe rails. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of one end of the bond. Fig. 3 isan enlarged sectional view through the opening in the web of the railwhen the sides of such opening are inclined. Fig. 4c is an enlarged endView of the sleeve surrounding the end of the connecting-conductor. Fig.5 is a cross-section on line 5 5, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 shows the various partsof the bond in position in the web of the rail ready for the finalprocess of securing them. Fig. '7 is a view of the same after theconnection has been completed.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

In bonding rails together the conductor connecting the rails is usuallyof a much higher con duct-ivity than the rails themselves, and hence toobtain the best results the area of the surface of contact between theconductor and the rail should be much greater than the cross-sectionalarea of the conductor. The difference between the cross-sectional areaof the conductor and the surface of contact between the conductor andthe rail will of course depend upon the difference between theconductivity of the two materials used. Under the usualconditions it isas seven to on e. Since the web of the rail to which this conductor isgenerally connected is very thin, a large surface of contact can only beobtained by enlarging the end of the conductor. Heretofore it has beenattempted to obtain this large contact area by upsetting the end of theconductor and by various other devices. When a conductor which variesgreatly in conductivity from the rail (such as copper under the usualconditions) is used, itis very difficult to obtain the desired amount ofcontact-surface by this method. One object of my invention is to assistin obtaining this large contact-surface in a simple and convenientmanner.

I first enlarge each end of the conductorA, so as to form a portion moreor less like the part B. This may be done by upsetting the end or in anyother desirable manner. I then provide a thimble or sleeve more or lesslike the part C, preferably of the same material as the conductor, andhaving a more or less cone-shaped opening C therethrough. This sleeve ispreferably made from a sheet of copper or the like, having a triangularor a trapezoidal cross-section, as shown in Fig. 5. This sheet is thencut into the required lengths and rolled up so as to form a sleeve, asshown in Fig. 4:. This sleeve is of such size as to make the desiredarea of contact with the web of the rail, and its ends may or may not betightly secured together. The sleeve is in the shape of the frustum of acone, and the opening D in the web D of the rail may also becone-shaped, if desired or required, so that when the sleeve is driventherein a good contact between the rail and sleeve will be secured.

After the sleeve C is driven in the hole in the web of the rail theenlarged end of the conductor is inserted in the opening in said sleeve,somewhat as shown in Fig. 6. The end of the conductor is then driventightly into the opening in the sleeve until the desired electricalcontact between the conductor and the sleeve is secured and its outerend batted or riveted, as shown in Fig. 7. This may easily beaccomplished by simple tools, so that the several contacting surfaceswill be very closely and firmly brought together. The forcing of theseparts toward each other within the web, they presenting to each otherinclined surfaces, results in a more or less directly outward pressure,so that an exceedingly firm setting of the surface of the metal sleeveagainst the metal of the web of the rail is obtained. The upsetting ofthe ends of the enlarged portion and of the sleeve on opposite sides ofthe rail-web results in looking the completed fastening against motionin either direction. The proportions of the several parts and the anglesof inclination of the several parts are, as above suggested, greatlyexaggerated for the purpose of illustrating the idea. The upset orenlarged portion of the rail-bond, the connector proper, need only be ofsuch size as will be necessary to furnish a bearing for the tool on theback of such enlarged portion, so as to permit it to be driven in, andits end being upset such an enlargement can easily be made on the end ofthe bond. The sleeve may then be of any desired size, but of course ofsufficient size to serve the purposes above referred to. It will be seenthat by this construction I can easily obtain any desired area ofcontact. The connection between the conductor and each of the railswhich it connects is of course similar to that described above. I havedescribed these several parts in detail; but it is evident that they maybe varied in form and construction without departing from the spirit ofmy invention, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to theconstruction herein shown and described.

I have described my invention as a raih bond; but of course the methodof effecting the union between the parts to make contact is applicableto any case Where such conductor or connection is to be used, andtherefore the term rail-bond as employed by me is to be taken in suchbroad significance. The sleeve may be made otherwise than as heresuggested-for example, by the use of short sec tions of brazed tube,which sections may be forced into shape in the press.

It will be observed that in the application of this device the sleevesare first seated in their holes. This is done by a separate gang of menand with tools proper for the purpose. Another gang then comes with thebond proper and inserts the end in the sleeve and sets the parts asabove indicated.

I claim 1. A rail-bond comprising aconduetorrelatively small incross-sectional area, an enlarged head at each end, said head taperedtoward the extremity of the bond, sleeves correspondingly tapered insideand adapted to be driven into holes in the rail in one direction and toreceive the enlarged ends of the bond when inserted from the oppositedirection.

2. A rail-bond comprising a conductor relatively small incross-sectional area, an enlarged head at each end, said head taperedtoward the extremity of the bond, sleeves correspondingly tapered insideand adapted to be driven into holes in the rail in one direc tion and toreceive the enlarged ends of the bond when inserted from the oppositedirection, said sleeves tapered outside and the hole in the railcorrespondingly tapered to receive them.

EDWARD A. TURNER. \Vitnesses:

FRANCIS W. PARKER, DONALD M. CARTER.

